LIFE AFTER DEATH
the season 11-1, knew that losing the first game, with his ace on the mound was a gut-punch of a loss for the team and the bullpen.
“Things just aren’t going our way. They’ll snap out of it eventually,” Callaway said. “It’s tough right now. I am sure they are feeling a lot of pressure that we’ve got to get the job done and they will.”
And maybe when most of their fans had already called it a night, the bullpen did get the job done. They pieced together seven solid innings with three scoreless from Hansel Robles, a tough one-run inning from Robert Gsellman, a perfect inning from Jacob Rhame that was finished off by two from Jeurys Familia
That has to help ease the sick feeling that the afternoon game left the Mets with when the bullpen blew yet another brilliant start by deGrom.
Callaway had a plan going into the day with two games scheduled, bad weather in the forecast and an already taxed bullpen.
“Going into the day, if deGrom went seven (innings) we were going to go Lugo for two,” Callaway said of his move to Lugo. “If he didn’t go seven we were going to mix and match and close with (Jeurys) Familia. We got exactly what we wanted out of deGrom, we just didn’t get what we wanted out of Lugo.”
Though Lugo had been one of the Mets’ most reliable relievers lately.
Ozzie Albies led off with a bunt against Lugo, who made a wide throw to Jay Bruce at first, and Freddie Freeman singled. Nick Markakis’ sacrifice fly snapped Lugo’s scoreless streak and tied the game. Lugo got out of the inning without doing any more damage.
When Devin Mesoraco homered in the top of the ninth to give the Mets the lead, Familia got up in the bullpen. Amed Rosario singled with one out and Callaway sent Lugo to the plate. Familia, who has not pitched since blowing a save Wednesday night, stopped warming up at that point.
“If Lugo’s spot in the order would have come up where we could have impacted the game, we would have hit for him and closed with Familia, then you are down again,” Callaway said. “We had one of our best relievers in the game. We just lost it.”
Lugo struck out, Brandon Nimmo struck out and Rosario was stranded.
And in the bottom of the inning, Charlie Culberson hit a two-run, pinch-hit walk off home run off of Lugo.
It was the 22nd time in his career deGrom handed a lead off to the bullpen and they blew it.
“He’s doing what he always does. We have to be better than that,” Lugo said. “Those are the games we have to win. We have to make some adjustments and make better pitches.”
At least in the early morning hours of Tuesday, the Mets bullpen rebounded from a very bad afternoon.